Inflammation may be one of the hottest topics in health today, and for good reason. It’s at the root of just about every disease. How you live your life (i.e. couch potato), your environment (i.e. airborne pollutants) and what you eat determine your risk of developing inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s response to stress. Failure to take care of your body increases the stress and, consequently, inflammation. Over time this can lead to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and even memory decline, according to a new study led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco. Plus, you may age faster.
The good news: certain foods keep inflammation at bay, even foods you may not think fit into a healthy diet (wine, anyone?). A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who followed this diet the most closely had a 30% lower risk of heart disease. Follow as many of these tasty guidelines as you can to reduce your risk of inflammation:
1. Fruits and Vegetables: 5 to 9 servings a day
Pigments in fruits and vegetables don’t just look attractive, they’re chock full of healthful, anti-inflammatories. The more the merrier. Look for deeply-colored fruits including deep green (spinach, kale, broccoli), orange (sweet potato, cantaloupe, carrots), berries and cherries.
2. Aim for a serving of nuts or non-processed soy every day
Go nuts over nuts, particularly the anti-oxidant variety, which include pistachios, almonds, pecans and walnuts. (Think portion control to avoid excess calories.)
3. Eat more healthy fats (nuts, avocado, olive oil, canola oil) and less unhealthy saturated fats (red meat, butter, mayo, cream, cheese, egg yolks) and omega 6 rich oils like vegetable oil (corn, sunflower, soybean, peanut) which can be pro-inflammatory (>1:1 ratio).
Note: Omega 3 fatty acids are particularly anti-inflammatory. If your diet doesn’t include fatty fish like salmon or sardines at least twice a week—or if you have an inflammatory associated condition—take an omega-3 fatty acid supplement.
4. Limit red meat to no more than twice a week. Choose lean cuts and limit grilling or broiling (high temperature cooking) which can cause inflammatory by-products. Cook low and slow if possible.
5. Limit cured and salted processed meats such as packaged lunch meats, hot dogs and bacon.
6. Cut trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) as much as possible, which are particularly pro-inflammatory. Read labels carefully even if a product says “trans fat free” as it may contain less 0.5 grams per serving which allows manufacturers to make the “free” claim.
7. Alcohol is fine in moderation. Stick with one glass of wine per day for women; one to two glasses per day for men. Limit sugary mixers. Red wine is probably best but all alcohol has some benefit.
8. Take a daily multivitamin. No need to overdose on any single nutrient but a daily multi is associated with lower levels of inflammation.
9. Try to consume at least 15 grams of grain based fiber per day. This requires making all (or mostly) the grains in your diet whole grains: brown rice, whole wheat bread & pasta, barley, quinoa, oatmeal.
10. Include other super-antioxidants foods:
Green tea: aim for 2 cups or more per day.
Dark Chocolate: opt for 70% cacao
Spices such as cinnamon, cloves, curcumin (cumin)
Beans: red beans, kidney, black beans